1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a developer container for containing powder used for image formation and an image forming apparatus, such as, a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a plotter, the like, or a multifunction machine (or multifunction peripheral) that includes the developer container and has at least two of capabilities of copying, printing, plotting, scanning, facsimile transmission, and the like. The present invention further relates to a replaceable unit removably installable in an apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines including at least two of such capabilities, generally include a developing device to develop, with developer such as toner, latent images formed on a photoreceptor serving as an image bearer. As toner is consumed to develop latent images, the developing device is replenished with toner.
To replenish the developing device, replaceable toner cartridges filled with toner are often used. For example, an upper cover of the image forming apparatus is opened, the used toner cartridge is removed therefrom, and a new toner cartridge is installed therein.
Replaceable units, such as toner containers (or toner cartridges), process units (or process cartridges), or the like, are typically provided with a data storage element to store data relating to each cartridge. In such configurations, the replaceable unit further includes a terminal (hereinafter “unit-side terminal”) connected to the data storage element, and the apparatus body includes a terminal (hereinafter “apparatus-side terminal”) electrically connectable to the unit-side terminal to transmit data from the replaceable unit to a controller of the apparatus. For example, in JP-2011-197271-A, electrical contacts are provided to the process cartridge and the apparatus body to form electrical connection therebetween in a state in which the process cartridge is mounted in the apparatus body.
The unit-side terminal is often disposed on an end face at one longitudinal end of the replaceable unit, and the apparatus-side terminal is disposed on an inner side wall of the apparatus body facing the end face of the replaceable unit.